The Next Food Network Star: Let's Just Cut to The Finale, OK?

Unlike reality show cooking competitions in which it's all about the food and one bad dish can send a front-runner packing, The Next Food Network Star is more about on-air personality -- and that ain't anything that's gettin' fixed overnight. That said, this season looks pretty clear cut, so let's just cut to the chase, shall we?

Brad, you're too stiff. Brianna, you're kinda fake. Paul, you're an angry man. Tom, you don't care. And Bobby Flay, how you're a judge of warmth and personality on TV remains one of the great mysteries of the Food Network.

Five more episodes? Please.

Now here's this week's foodie TV schedule so you won't miss a thing. For cable channels, check your local listings.

Monday (June 28)

Cake Boss: "A Princess, A Pirate & A Perplexing Arch." Buddy feels the pressure when Mary, his toughest critic, asks him to make a pirate-theme cake for her twins' birthday party. Also: an over-the-top cake is made for a casino opening. 9 p.m., TLC

Inedible to Incredible: "Long Suffering Husband." A busy mom has no idea her family can't stand her cooking, from her dry lasagna to her questionable cranbrosia. "Funky Chicken." The host helps a woman who loves to entertain lighten up her rich and heavy dishes. 10 and 10:30 p.m., TLC Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: "Farm to Table." Stops include a pizza parlor in Washington, D.C., where the sauce is made from scratch; a sandwich joint in Midway, Kentucky, that uses homemade bread; and an eatery on Georgia's St. Simons Island serving Cajun coastal favorites. 10 p.m., Food Network

Tuesday (June 29)

Hell's Kitchen: Chef Ramsay shows his temper -- to a patron -- during the dinner service that follows the episode's first challenge, in which the contestants make deli sandwiches. The losers' penalty: make peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. Then Ramsay shuffles the teams, and the new teammates face their first challenge: reinventing a wedding menu for a 50th anniversary party. 7 p.m., Channel 10, FOX

Cupcake Wars: "Ace of Cakes 100th Episode Celebration." "Ace of Cakes" star Duff Goldman is a guest judge when four bakers work with wacky ingredients to create cupcakes that celebrate the 100th episode of his show. 9 p.m., Food Network

Chopped: "Green Apps and Lamb." The chefs must use mint liqueur and canned fish in their appetizers; lamb in the entrées; and an unfamiliar grain in their desserts. 10 p.m., Food Network

Good Eats: "Yes We Have No Banana Pudding." Banana pudding is made. 8:30 p.m., Food Network

(Season 9 Premiere!) Ace of Cakes: "100 Episodes of Cake." The Charm City Cakes crew reflects on the first 100 episodes of "Ace of Cakes" in the Season 9 premiere. Also: a complex roller-coaster cake is constructed. 10 p.m., Food Network